Numbers 31-32

“But if you fail to keep your word, then you will have sinned against the Lord, and you may be sure that your sin will find you out.” 32:23

When I was in high school, my brother and I would occasionally borrow my mom’s cell phone if we had after school plans. One day, when my brother was allotted The Cell Phone for the day, my mom pulled me out of class. She couldn’t get a hold of my brother, but needed to retrieve her phone so she could rush out of town for an emergency with my grandpa. Did I know where he was? The color drained from my face. He had skipped school that day, headed to the beach with friends and sworn me to secrecy. And now I was delivering that news to her, in the midst of a stressful situation. I mean, what were the chances my mom would come to school looking for him on the one day he was two hours away instead of sitting in English class? The truth always has a way of coming out.

One of the many lies we believe about sin is that it doesn’t impact anyone besides us. Or, we convince ourselves that no one will find out. I can think of at least fifteen times something I was hiding unexpectedly became exposed.

God exposing your sin feels awful, but it’s actually an act of mercy. The weight of being tangled up in lies and smothered by your secret sin is a life marked by death. Jesus came to give life.

Don’t wait for your sin to find you out. Instead, live with integrity. I love what Titus has to say about Christian living:

“An elder must live a blameless life. He must be faithful to his wife, and his children must be believers who don’t have a reputation for being wild or rebellious.A church leader is a manager of God’s household, so he must live a blameless life. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered; he must not be a heavy drinker, violent, or dishonest with money. Rather, he must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must love what is good. He must live wisely and be just. He must live a devout and disciplined life.He must have a strong belief in the trustworthy message he was taught; then he will be able to encourage others with wholesome teaching and show those who oppose it where they are wrong.” Titus 1:6-9

This is directed towards church elders, but it’s a standard of godliness we should all move towards. A blameless life.